The present invention relates generally to a pushbutton for latching and momentary contact functions used for actuating at least one contact element, and specifically to a pushbutton including a latching guideway and longitudinal groove formed in an inside wall of a housing and a guide pin projecting radially outward from an open ring element supported on a switch plunger.
Swiss Patent Publication CH 595 687 A5 describes a pushbutton of this kind which is composed of a hollow cylindrical housing and a switch plunger which is lengthwise displaceable and non-rotatably guided therein. The switch plunger is biased toward the resting position via a helical pressure spring for which purpose provision is made for stop bosses on the switch plunger and corresponding stop faces on the housing. An approximately heart-shaped coulisse, or latching guideway, and, parallel thereto and separate therefrom, a longitudinal groove running essentially in the actuating direction are recessed into the outer wall of the switch plunger. A wire-shaped spring element which runs essentially in the actuating direction and whose offset free end is configured as a guide pin is supported in the housing. To implement the latching function or momentary contact function, the guide pin runs in the latching guideway or in the longitudinal groove, respectively, and can be repositioned from the latching guideway to the longitudinal groove or vice versa by means of a pointed tool which reaches through an access opening in the housing. The complex bearing and the design of the spring element which requires additional spring means and which consequently requires space constitute a disadvantage. Moreover, the guide pin is difficult to be accessed during repositioning and its actual position is recognizable only when one looks very carefully.
Furthermore, an illuminated pushbutton with latching function having the type designation RLTR of the company Moeller GmbH is known in which the heart-shaped latching guideway is recessed into the inside wall of the housing and in which the guide pin engaging with the latching guideway projects outward from an open metal ring which is supported on the switch plunger. To increase reliability, the housing is equipped with two latching guideways arranged opposite and the spring ring is equipped with guide pins mutually opposing each other.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pushbutton for latching and momentary contact functions featuring a simple and space-saving support of the guide pin and allowing the operating mode to be changed in an easy and recognizable manner.
The present invention provides a pushbutton for latching and momentary contact functions. The pushbutton includes: a hollow cylindrical housing; a switch plunger displaceable in a lengthwise direction and non-rotatably guided in the housing; an open ring element rotatably supported on the switch plunger; a spring and stop device for enabling a resting position of the pushbutton; an approximately heart-shaped latching guideway defined by the housing, the latching guideway being for the latching function and being disposed at an inside wall of the housing; a longitudinal groove defined by the housing and disposed at the inside wall of the housing approximately parallel to the latching guideway and to an actuating direction, the longitudinal groove being for the momentary-contact function; and a guide pin capable of being repositioned between the latching guideway and the longitudinal groove using a tool through an access opening defined by the housing, the guide pin projecting radially outward from the open ring element.
Because the latching guideway, or coulisse, and the longitudinal groove are formed at the inside wall of the housing and the guide pin is formed as a part of the ring element, no additional space is required compared to a pushbutton which is exclusively provided with a latching function or with a momentary contact function. The open ring element is suited to be snapped onto a corresponding annular groove on the switch plunger during assembly and to be subsequently supported there in a manner that it is easily displaceable. Via the access opening, the outwardly facing guide pin can easily be moved clockwise or counterclockwise using a suitable pointed tool, the respective end position of the guide pin which is easily visible through the access opening clearly showing the operating mode of the pushbutton.
The present invention may also provide a cross connection which connects the latching guideway and the longitudinal groove approximately at half the height. Because of this, the guide pin can be deliberately repositioned only when the pushbutton is in the half-depressed position, whereas in the two end positions an intentional repositioning or an unintentional repositioning caused by vibrations or shaking are ruled out. Expediently, the cross connection can at the same time be configured as an access opening.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the latching guideway and/or the longitudinal groove has/have a configuration which runs out at the front side to enable the guide pin to easily enter into the latching guideway or the longitudinal groove during the assembly of the pushbuttons. An opposed arrangement of the guide elements appertaining to the latching and momentary contact functions serves the reliable operation of the pushbutton.